The present invention relates to a robot apparatus and a motion control method and is preferably applied to a robot apparatus which behaves like a quadruped.
Proposals and developments have been made in quadruped robot apparatuses, articulated robots, or animations using characters who move via computer graphics, which operate in accordance with commands from a user or environments. These robot apparatuses and animations (which are referred together robot apparatuses) carry out a series of motion based on a command from a user.
For example, a so-called pet robot as a robot apparatus having a shape similar to a quadruped like a dog takes a position of xe2x80x9cDownxe2x80x9d when it receives a command of xe2x80x9cDownxe2x80x9d, or it always gives a hand whenever a user puts a hand before the mouth of the dog.
Meanwhile, it is desirable that the motion of the robot apparatus which simulates an animal should be similar to that of an actual animal as much as possible.
However, conventional robot apparatuses do only predetermined motions based on commands from a user or the environment. Thus, since conventional robot apparatuses do not autonomously move unlike actual animals, it has not been possible to satisfy a users"" request that they want a robot apparatus that can autonomously determine its behaviors.
Further, robot apparatuses reach an aimed position or motion through a predetermined position or motion. However, motion expression of robot apparatuses become rich if there are prepared a plurality of positions or motions to be carried out during transition to an aimed position or motion.
If there are prepared a plurality of ways of positions or motions which a robot apparatus takes halfway before reaching an aimed position or motion, it is preferred that a position or motion which the robot apparatus passes is selected optimally to transit to the aimed position or motion.
The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and has an object of proposing a robot apparatus which autonomously makes natural motions and a motion control method thereof.
Also, the present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and has an object of providing a robot apparatus whose positions and motions are optimized during transition, and a motion control method thereof.
More specifically, a robot apparatus according to the present invention makes a motion corresponding to supplied input information, and comprises model change means including a model for causing the motion, for determining the motion by changing the model, based on the input information.
The robot apparatus having this structure has a model which causes a motion, and changes the model based on input information thereby to determine a motion. Therefore, if the model is a feeling model or an instinct model, the robot apparatus autonomously acts based on states of the feeling and the instinct of the robot apparatus.
A motion control method according to the present invention is to make a motion in accordance with supplied input information, and the motion is determined by changing a model which causes the motion, based on the input information.
In this motion control method, a motion is determined by changing the model, based on input information. If the model is a feeling model or an instinct model, the robot apparatus can act autonomously based on its own feeling or instinct.
Another robot apparatus according to the present invention makes a motion in accordance with supplied input information, and comprises motion determination means for determining a next operation subsequent to a current motion, based on the current motion and the input information supplied next, said current motion corresponding to a history of input information supplied sequentially.
The robot apparatus having this structure determines a next motion subsequent to a current motion, based on the current motion corresponding to a history of input information supplied sequentially, and input information to be supplied next. Therefore, the robot apparatus autonomously acts based on the states of its own feeling or instinct.
Another motion control method according to the present invention is to make a motion in accordance with supplied input information, and a next motion subsequent to a current motion is determined, based on the current motion and the input information to be supplied next, the current motion corresponding to a history of input information supplied sequentially.
In this motion control method, a next motion subsequent to a current motion is determined, based on the current motion corresponding to the history of input information sequentially supplied, and input information to be supplied next. Therefore, the robot apparatus can act autonomously, based on the state of its own feeling or instinct.
Further, another robot apparatus according to the present invention comprises: graph storage means for storing a graph which registers the positions and the motion and which is constructed by connecting the positions with the motion for letting the positions transit; and control means for searching a route from a current position to an aimed position or motion, on the graph, based on the action command information, and for letting the robot apparatus move, based on a search result, thereby to let the robot apparatus transit from the current position to the aimed position or motion.
The robot apparatus having this structure transits to an aimed position or motion instructed by the action command information, based on a graph which registers positions and motions stored in graph storage means and which is constructed by connecting the positions with motions for letting the positions transit. Specifically, the robot apparatus searches a route from the current position to an aimed position or motion, on the graph, based on action command information. Based on the search result, a motion is made to transit to an aimed position or motion from the current position.
Further, in another motion control method according to the present invention, based on action command information, a route from a current position to an aimed position or motion is searched on a graph which registers positions and motions and which is constructed by connecting the positions with motions for letting the positions transit, and a motion is made, based on a search result, thereby to make transit from the current position to the aimed position or motion.
That is, in this motion control method, transit to an aimed position or motion instructed by the action command information is made, based on a graph which registers positions and motions and which is constructed by connecting the positions with motions for letting the positions transit.